Renault

Ferrari development driver Marc Gene says he has reason to believe that Renault will be more of a force come the opening round of the Formula One world championship than its testing performances suggest.

The ING Renault F1 team has revealed plans for an expanded Roadshow campaign this year, taking in almost every continent as it works its way around the globe.

Despite being relegated to last place in the 2007 constructors' world championship as punishment for its involvement in Formula 1's spying scandal, McLaren-Mercedes may yet avoid the ignominy of having to occupy the final - and smallest - garage in the pit-lane.

Whilst looking ahead to the forthcoming Formula 1 campaign with Renault, Fernando Alonso has suggested a future in scarlet could yet be on the horizon, by saying he 'hopes' Ferrari can defeat McLaren to retain its championship crown in 2008.

Renault has strengthened its back-up driving squad with the addition of former Spyker and Super Aguri race driver Sakon Yamamoto.

ING Renault F1 team managing director Flavio Briatore has said that the outfit's commercial outlook is 'healthier than ever' for 2008.

Renault's Formula One team has entered into a new partnership with the Gauteng provincial government aimed at promoting the South African region as the home of competitive sport in the country.

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Fernando Alonso's return to Formula One testing with Renault also heralded the return of familiar colours to his cockpit, as the black-and-white helmet of last year was replaced by the more patriotic colours seen during the Spaniard's world championship campaigns.

Renault technical chief Bob Bell has admitted that he feels engineer Phil Mackereth was 'reckless' in his actions that led to the regie being dragged into the Formula 1 spying row and hadn't set out to give his new employees any kind of unfair advantage.

Heikki Kovalainen has been officially confirmed as a McLaren-Mercedes driver for 2008, stepping into Fernando Alonso's seat for the second year in succession.

Having tested no fewer than seven drivers for 2008, Force India seems to have made its choice - for one of its seats at least.

Renault's decision to re-sign Fernando Alonso and promote Nelson Piquet Jr to its Formula One frontline for 2008 has left its 2007 line-up both looking for jobs in an increasingly tight market.

The World Motor Sport Council ("WMSC") met on 6 December 2007 to consider a charge that Renault F1 Team ("Renault") had breached Article 151(c) of the International Sporting Code, which prohibits "any fraudulent conduct or any act prejudicial to the interests of any competition or to the interest

Sebastien Loeb has said that it was a 'dream come true' for him to be able to drive a Formula 1 car on Wednesday, when he got behind the wheel of last year's championship-winning Renault R26.

Nelson Piquet Jr has claimed that next year's Formula One cars may not be the test of skill a lot of insiders are suggesting, after comparing last week's Renault test to his memories of GP2.

While other areas of its 2007 car may have been far from ideal in the battle to retain both Formula One world titles, Renault had little to complain about on the engine front.

Fernando Alonso's much-vaunted return to Renault for the 2008 Formula 1 season could have hit yet another hitch over the length of his contract, with reports suggesting the team will settle for nothing less than three years.

With Michael Schumacher having taken most of the headlines on the opening two days of testing at Catalunya, it was left to Renault's Heikki Kovalainen to hit top spot in the former world champion's absence as the first post-season Formula 1 test drew to a close in Spain.

Triple world rally champion, Sebastien Loeb will get behind the wheel of a Renault F1 car next month. The Frenchman, who is currently preparing for this weekend's Rally Ireland, will do a couple of demonstration runs at the Paul Ricard circuit in the South of France.

Twenty-year-old Canadian Sean McIntosh steps from representing Team Canada in the A1GP series to competing in the World Series by Renault this weekend in the opening two rounds of the Championship at Zolder.

Renault have given Fernando Alonso a 'special gift' - his championship-winning R25, following a celebratory evening Wednesday, to mark Renault's historic double world championship victory in F1 in 2005. Alonso admitted the gift was a 'dream come true'.

The Renault F1 Team has used the launch of the new R25 to also announce a new partnership agreement with the Italian company Chronotech, one of the leading brands of the Global Watch Industries group.

Jacques Villeneuve may have insisted that he has no regrets of his decision to join Renault for the final three races of 2004, but it appears that the teams bosses don't agree with the Canadians view of his short time with the squad.